Keep up your emotional resilience

Rishma Gill

TO say that we’re experiencing an unprecedented situation is an understatement. Our lives seem to turn more surreal with each passing day as the pandemic holds us hostage and requiring tremendous adaptability on our part.

Financial pressures, unforeseen challenges, isolation, fear and restricted access to our network of friends and family — all have contributed to a deadly concoction leading to immense stress. More than ever before our children are looking to us for behaviours to emulate. However, we can only provide solutions if we ourselves keep our calm and flexible. The following few strategies can help tide away the crisis:

Set up a routine

Working out basics like fixed sleep and waking up timings, work-from-home hours, designating household chores, charting out childcare responsibilities where one parent works, the other one can take over can help setting healthy boundaries for everyone. Set aside some alone time for yourself to rest, read, exercise or indulge in a relaxing hobby. Many unforeseen circumstances are, however, likely to arise, which will throw a spanner at a well-charted out routine! But keep your mind open to any change in routine, if required.

Learn to delegate

At times, we get so caught up in trying to control situations and their outcomes that we often end up doing everything ourselves. This is a sure-shot recipe for disaster. When it isn’t your turn to do the chores, learn to withdraw your attention from the tasks rather than obsessing over them.

Communicate often

Talk, it’s the only thing that will get us out of this nightmare alive! Speak to your friends, family, neighbours, anyone who is willing to listen. Have conversations with your partner frequently about how you’d like to handle various issues, finances and workload. When you’re both clear about how you’d like to handle things, it leaves little room for conflict. When communicating with children, try to explain them the situation calmly. Children are bound to have many doubts and questions. Always be available to listen to them. If they aren’t open to talking, engage them in storytelling and role playing.

Cut the clutter

Media overload is definitely the bane of our existence. Many news and entertainment channels constantly blare doomsday scenarios. Social media echoes opinions, unchecked facts and horror stories. It’s easy to get sucked into this vortex of negativity. It’s critical then to access news only from a trusted source. Time spent on social media should be closely monitored. Glimpses of other people’s near perfect lives on social media can leave one feeling inadequate. That’s the last thing you want while battling the stress of this pandemic. Instead get creative with your own lives, spend time with those who matter and make you feel happy.

Be kind to yourself

Plans will fail, routines will collapse, expectations will be met with disappointments. Keep in mind that everyone across the world is struggling with the same demon. What we can work towards learning is patience — both with ourselves and others. Avoid negative self-talk. Appreciate yourself for the many small efforts you make. Practicing gratitude and mindfulness will go a long way in focusing your attention towards positivity.

There are silver linings to this dark cloud too. We’ve all had more time to introspect, spend with our families, sleep-in late once in a while and realise we can all make do with lesser than we had gotten used to! Let’s take refuge in the fact that we are all in this together. Let’s inculcate that geat human virtue that is esilience and tell ourselves that this too shall pass!